


Warrant

by thiefofbluefire



Series: Query: is it illegal to save the world by creating a paradox? [9]
Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X, Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types, Rockman | Mega Man Classic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Humor, Crack Treated Seriously, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied Relationships, Language, Minor Injuries, Misunderstandings, POV Alternating, POV Multiple, Time Travel, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:15:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26188576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thiefofbluefire/pseuds/thiefofbluefire
Summary: Then- in my childhood, in the dawn of a most stormy life-  was drawn from every depth of good or ill, the mystery which binds me still: From the torrent, or the fountain, from the red cliff, or the mountain, from the sun that 'round me rolled in it's autumn tint of gold, from the lightning in the sky, as it passed me flying by, from the thunder and the storm, and the cloud that took the form (when the rest of heaven was blue)of a demon in my view.
Series: Query: is it illegal to save the world by creating a paradox? [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1169123
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	1. September

The last thing Protoman remembered before the blackout was Bass. He'd seen the Wily bot out of his armor, wearing human clothes, walking around downtown.

Kind of wandering, like he was lost.

Like he was looking for something.

The memory stood out because it was the only time that he could think of that Bass legitimately appeared concerned about something.  
All the grunts and eternally snarling, snapping features that Bass was known for, but in the aftermath of the battle between three robots that had nothing to do with him, Bass looked worried.

Things got fuzzy and weird after that. Protoman could recall sensations; the vague feeling of being restrained, something crawling around on his torso, being grabbed and being kicked, the sudden helplessness of realizing that a rope snapped, or the light headedness that came with looking down from a high place.  
And with that feeling, nausea.

But that's all that he knew as he felt himself being pat down, a secure arm around his shoulders, a finger on his face that gently pried open one of his eyes.

He wasn't wearing his helmet, he realized dazedly. Nor his glasses.  
The face that greeted his blurry vision was youthful, friendly and smiling.

"Guys!" The owner yelled out, and he winced mentally. "Hey guys! It worked! It worked, he's clean!"

"Yes!" Came a second voice. Deeper, older, not far away, but echoing for some reason.

"Woo hoo!" And a third one as well. Older than the first, but not as deep as the second. Also... had he heard that voice before?

Protoman couldn't say for sure.  
The owner of the first voice came into focus by small increments as he blinked slowly back into consciousness.

He had a roundish face, a dark mark on his nose. A red and blue helm with a bright light fixture on the forehead and white spikes on the sides.  
His smile was wide and it wrinkled around his green eyes as he laughed and whooped with a fist in the air, the other two voices doing the same thing.

What were they so happy about?

The moment of laughter eventually passed, and Protoman found that keeping his eyes open was an effort he didn't want to go through with. Frankly, his whole body had basically no function; like stones for limbs. So he let his eyelids droop shut, keeping the memory of the happy stranger filed in the forefront as he ran a brief diagnostic of why his energy was so low.

The result came back as a simple, unhelpful, 'you were doing a lot of strenuous activities, you goof' which didn't explain what had actually happened at all.  
Protoman sighed through his nose before another diagnostic check gave a warning about a steadily increasing core temperature with insufficient coolant available as well as some kind of damage to his front and arms.

Great.

The three voices quieted down before long, the laughter replaced with awkward hums and tapping on some hard surface.

Plexiglass, Protoman's memory supplied. Possibly two centimeters thick. Someone was slapping their hand against it, but who? Why?

"Ex how do we get down?" The second voice asked.

Where were they?

"Ex?" The voice tried again when he didn't receive any reply.

"I'm working on it." The third said in a rush.

"You didn't think about it before now?" The deep voice sputtered, exasperated.

"I didn't think that the plan would land us here, no. What even are these things?!" The third voice, Ex, also rose in exasperation.

What plan?

"Just fucking typical!" The second voice snarled, followed by something slamming the plexiglass again.

So that was Him doing it.

"Language!" Ex chided loudly, and Protoman felt himself cringe at the volume from across… whatever distance was between them.

"I don't have cash and you don't have a jar!" The second voice argued in kind.

Protoman felt the arms of the first voice, the one holding him, shift about. He was adjusted to lean on something large, smooth, and made of metal as the first voice sighed.

"I'm making you a tab!" Ex argued back at the angry voice in the meantime.

"What're you even gonna do with all this zen that you're sucking out of me?!"

"Prove a point!"

"What's..." Protoman squinted his eyes barely open to see what the movement shift was for.  
"Whas going...on...?" He slurred, vocal processor hoarse and feeling really, really used.

The owner of the first voice, better name pending, had his chin propped up on his palm as he had apparently settled Protoman onto one of his legs. His cheeks puffed out and he rolled his eyes as the argument between this Ex character and the second voice continued somewhere behind Protoman's head.

"Not much. Mom and dad are just fighting. Again." He mumbled with a huff before looking at Protoman with a grimace. "Go back to sleep."

And Protoman was tempted, but it occurred to him that this was one of the Androids he saw get caught downtown before he blacked out. Yes, that's right, Bass and Rock saw them too.

They had been detained after that bus exploded and Mega man subdued the last one standing.  
Wasn't that this guy holding Protoman now?  
And by that logic, Ex and the other one were the other Androids involved with what happened. 

These guys; bickering like an old married couple, had to have escaped somehow. But how? And why was Protoman here with them?

What happened?  
What was he missing?

"- and you couldn't think of anything better to put in it than my milk money?!" The second voice continued a string of thought that Protoman didn't catch.

"I don't see how my hobbies have anything to do with the problem that is your temper!" Rang Ex's voice, defensive.

"My ass! Du bist ein bekloppt alter Mann!"

'What in the?'

Protoman blinked and looked at his present company to see if he'd heard that as well, and considering how the Android bit his lip and averted eye contact, he did.

Wait.

Bass' worried expression.  
Roll's scream and Mega man's determination.

The red one.

The Red one-

" Du bist älteren als ich! Also ver lachen?!" Ex yelled out, cutting off Protoman's thought.

The second voice was quiet. 

Not for long, but that pause was certainly there.

"... I used to yell at you in the sims for hours." He began. "Fluently. You never picked up on it back then, and Suddenly you go and turn into a damn Rosetta Stone so you can keep track of a swear jar!?"

He sounded like he was almost impressed.

"Zero, I was fourteen! And frankly, If memory serves, picking up on foreign languages was Not the point of the exercise!"

So apparently the angry voice was named Zero.  
Zero.  
Had Protoman seen or heard anything from doctor Wily about a robot named Zero?

Was there anything Rock said about the robot that tore his arm off that lined up with Zero?

"Oh my God you used to be fourteen!" Fourteen and cute as a button! What happened?!" Zero groaned dramatically.

And apparently both Ex and Zero were both older than fourteen.  
That's a bit of a low bar to clear, but any data was helpful.

"Don't change the subject! You Know what happened!" Ex chided firmly.

Protoman ran another diagnostic test to check on his internal temperature, trying to distract himself from the argument. It was climbing high. He'd have to get away from the Androids and get his energy back somehow in order to fix himself up.

But that did beg the question of how.

"You know what, yeah. I Do know what happened; you turned into a hermit Ex! You spend all your time off from work holed up in your apartment articulating philosophy! Or so I heard from Layer, it's not like you even talk to me anymore!" 

"Better a hermit than a loudmouth hothead that can't keep it under wraps even in front of a child!"

"You're still on about that shit?! Shadow Isn't A Child Anymore!!"

"NOR IS HE ONE OF YOUR SOLDIERS!" 

Protoman cringed. 

'there might be a story behind that, and I really don't want to know it.'

The silence that followed left the air tense; any other words still being considered as though saying the wrong thing was comparable to cutting the wrong wire on a bomb.

Through luck, fate, or perhaps by the design of someone in particular, the first android, the one in the capsule with Protoman, was the one to speak without setting that bomb off.

"Hey, uh, guys?" He began, leaning over Protoman with an odd look on his face. "I get that you're sorting yourselves out and you're close to a breakthrough or whatever and I Really hate to interrupt, but how long has that guy been standing down there watching us?!"

The young android pointed past Protoman, and he strained to move his head to see what had called for the attention.

Below the two of them were winding rails running in spirals and into dark corridors leading God knows where. And past those was a familiar face.

Protoman felt his eyes widen, beholding the might and stoic machine from the stars known simply as Duo.

"... Good question." Zero muttered, calm as can be.

Protoman could see the Android below him in a spherical capsule on another rail similar to his own situation, and he felt all his fluids run cold at the sight of him. The long blond hair was a dead ringer; that was the machine Rock described.

Active. Walking. Talking. Arguing. Seeing. Touching. Fighting.

Active.

Zero tensed his shoulders as Duo levitated up to their position, looking the androids up and down.

"... Hello there?" Ex said uncertainly.

"Because saying 'hi' is a good start-" Zero snapped right before Duo raised his arm and slammed his hand into the capsule, rattling the entire rail system with the impact and leaving his vessel on the verge of shattering.

" Yikes! Shit-!"

"Get Away From Him!" Ex hollered as Duo raised his arm again.  
His hand fell onto the capsule, and Protoman's ears needed to recalibrate from the explosive CRASH that assaulted his senses.

Before the ringing settled, Zero had dropped out of his plexiglass prison and was dangling from the rails like monkey bars. Duo advanced on him again, swatting stiffly, but powerfully at the red android as he maneuvered the twisted steel.

The Android sitting with Protoman shifted again, grunting as Blues turned to see what he was doing. There was a pistol in his hand as he slammed it against the capsule, trying to break out.

"C'mon…" He grunted roughly. "C'mon..!"

A particularly hard swing of his arm did something, but not what either of them were thinking it might.

With a creak, the capsule tilted.

"Uh- nope-!" The android hissed as he stuck out his arms to prevent their prison from rolling. They stopped, thankfully, and the android blew out a sigh of relief.

"Shiße!" They heard Zero call out before another slam sent the railing into a warping, rattling fit.

'Uh oh.'

The young android looked at Protoman with a mix of panic and resignation.

The sphere didn't stop.

Arms were wrapped tightly around Protoman as everything spun and fell out beneath them.

"Rolling out Autobots! AAAAAAAAHHH!!!" was the last thing he heard.


	2. Longer nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bitterness only festers if you feed it or leave it.

The light of the transerver blotted out Rock's vision for a minute, leaving him blinking as he landed in the dusty, decrepit lab of Wily's fifth castle base.

Beside him, Bass wobbled and braced an arm against the wall, sucking in a deep breath and rubbing his eyes before taking an uneasy step. Then another, then he shouldered off the transfer pad.

There was definitely something bothering him, and Rock probably knew what it was.

Getting the Wily bot to calm down after the androids escaped the fair had been a chore. Bass was abrasive and confrontational by default, but he was calling for blood when Aki and Quint were being taken into custody, going so far as to break out of his restraints and try to assault them when they were in view.

Being fair, Quint was absolutely no help in the matter with how he actually started goading the war machine when Bass got his hands on him; Spitting in his face and stuttering something in German that Rock didn't understand, but Bass definitely did, and Really didn't like.

What was Wily going to do to him to turn Rock into that, honestly?

It took an extra few pairs of hands to separate the bots and Bass only, reluctantly, stood down when the Mega man cosplayer, who was apparently named Aki, blubbered out a teary, but sincere apology for what had happened to Treble.  
Added to that doctor Light's promise to repair the wolf droid and the war machine was willing to comply. In fact, it was Bass who had brought this place to everyone's attention when he apparently detected an alarm being set off here.

Doctor Light, agent Krantz, and Rock rushed to form a plan before Rock connected to Bass' transfer frequency and came here.

Though, now that they were, Bass seemed almost hesitant to be here.

"Treble is going to be fine, Bass," Rock assured.

"Will you quit telling me that?" The warbot grumbled over his shoulder. "Just because he's Gonna be fine, doesn't mean I'm stoked about having to hunt down the baby brother without him."

Rock stopped in his tracks.

His word-association matrix glitched with discomfort at the prospect of that red robot being anywhere near the definition of 'baby.'  
But 'brother', specifically 'Bass' brother' was able to compile with less issue.

Slightly less.

"I was Not prepared for you to call him that," admitted Rock.

"Ugh, You weren't prepared," Bass shuddered, scrunching into his shoulders uncomfortably. "But what else do I call 'em, hm? DWN-Z is just obnoxious."

Rock conceded that with a purse of his lips. Serial numbers did tend to be tedious and confusing.

"Being fair, I'm sure Wily picked a name out for him eventually."

Because surely Albert Wily, who loved his creations just as much, if not more than, doctor Light, wouldn't be so lazy as to not give his most terrifying project a fitting name.

"Pity he didn't feel like sharing that info before he bounced then!" Bass bristled and stomped down the corridor.  
Rock took in a patient breath before following after him.

It shouldn't have been a surprise that Bass had complicated feelings on the matter, and surprising it was not. Rock had other questions and his own nerves on the subject, but prying probably wouldn't help while Bass was so wound up.

"So you said a trap was triggered," the Mega man said instead, picking up his pace to keep up with the war machine. "Which one and where?"

Bass glanced at him with clearly some kind of reply on his tongue, but cut himself off when a thunderous rumble shook the hall. They both paused until it settled. In the following silence, Rock's danger sensors began lighting up, and he clenched a fist. 

"That sounded like it was above us."

"Yep," Bass agreed, breaking into a run. "Which means it doesn't matter cause they're getting loose!"


	3. Dropping temperature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have licked the fire and danced in the ashes of every bridge I ever burned. I fear no hell from you.

'Gonna be sick-!  
Gonna be sick-!  
Gonna be sick-!  
Gonna be sick-!

Don't wanna be sick-!'

Such was Axl's thought process when he elected to break the glass with a point-blank shot, and to say it went spectacularly wouldn't be wholly inaccurate.

But to say it was fun? No. Absolutely not.

Not when the damn ball started bouncing around the track as it tore itself to pieces like a flat tire on a highway in desperate need of repaving.

Axl and his new-best-friend, target, fell out luckily before the remains of the capsule jumped off the rail and crashed into a crumbling wall, making a positively MASSIVE mess of glass and broken brick.  
Axl's thrusters didn't save them from a scratch, but the cushioning they provided was enough for him not to complain about it.

When they hit it, the floor was hard, and cold, and dusty, and rough, and it was SOLID. Sweet cheese and crackers and thank the gods and the angels, because it was SOLID and it didn't move at all.

He almost cried, laying there.

But, this was no time for tears.

Axl pushed himself up and gave the target some room to sprawl out and stretch. The smaller reploid drew in deep, starving breaths as he sloughed out of the hunter's hold, big blue eyes wide like he just saw the face of God.  
Though, frankly, they might've.

The target flicked his eyes to Axl with a mix of confusion as he mouthed a variation of 'what just happened?'

Since his head was still spinning a little, it took Axl a second to realize that was supposed to be an actual question; one he didn't actually have a clue about articulating an answer to.

So, instead,

"And THAT, children, is why there's seatbelts on rollercoasters." He said playfully with a finger pointing up.

The smaller reploid groaned at that and slumped, exhausted.

"Yeah, I didn't think it was funny either." Axl admitted as he rubbed his side and looked around.

Emergency lights lined the tunnel walls, glowing a dull orange with what was probably an emergency power generator on its last legs. Wisps of dust fluttered up and down around them, the rail looming eerily above like some kind of snake, or maybe a centipede.  
All quiet.

X and Zero were still trapped with that big guy though. Knowing them, they wouldn't need Axl's help in a fight, and that wasn't what he was concerned with. What was, was the idea of being lost in here with nothing but the walls, the floor, the target, and the rail.

What if they couldn't find him here because of the stupid, hamster-house-of-death, rails?

A chill tickled his shoulders unpleasantly and he sat up on his haunches, glancing at the target.

The smaller reploid met his eyes with suspicion and a degree of something that reminded him of X.

Weird.

"Looks like we're not outta the woods yet," Axl said, stretching his arms. "How do you feel?"

The target took in a breath and blinked a couple of times, making a face as he strained to move his arms. His gauntlets and greaves scraped heavily against the floor for a few inches before the reploid gave up with a gasp.

Taking a page from Zero's book, the poor guy looked like hammered shit.

"Junk really drained ya, didn't it?"

The target eyed him suspiciously as Axl offered him a hand.

"I have rescue training," the hunter explained. "So how does getting outta here sound?"

Axl's new best friend raised an eyebrow at the offer, pursing his lips. Then he looked up at the railing, then the emergency lights, weighing his options probably.

"Do I have a choice?" He asked, shooting Axl a grimace.

The hunter flinched at that, sucking in a deep breath and holding it.

'so he's like That then.'

"I guess not," admitted Axl with a shrug as he moved to pull the reploid onto his back, piggy back style. "But hey, neither do I, so let's make the most of it. Shall we?"

They needed to get back to X and Zero.


	4. Frost on the tile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No resurrections this time

‘Kid’s gone.’

The pod had rolled into a tunnel and Axl’s screaming went with it.

Which was of course cause for concern, but so was this floating freak that couldn’t seem to FUCK OFF!

With a grunt, Zero swung to another rail, ripping the pistol from his back as he sprinted across the track.  
The big robot quickly hovered into his periphery, preparing another attack.  
The space between them lit up as Zero snapped the weapon up and squeezed the trigger. Pellets yellow and green dented and ricocheted off the giant’s armor, making him pause.

A short window, to be sure, but one Zero used to abruptly stop, switch directions, and fire a charge shot into the behemoth’s back.  
He lurched forward before turning his head sharply, giving the hunter a narrow look.

‘Go down already!’

The hunter squeezed the trigger rapidly as the machine levitated above the rail, becoming enveloped in a bright blue aura that sent a chill down Zero’s spine.  
It’s shape melded and changed into a great big orb that spun rapidly, gaining even more speed with every rotation as though charging up.

‘Not good.’

‘Agreed.’

He stopped firing to avoid overheating the pistol and leapt up to grab the railing just above him. In that moment, the orb slammed down, warping the metal track before charging forward where Zero had been standing, then sharply back up the track where it then melded back to it’s vaguely humanoid shape.

‘Not too smart, are you?’

‘Doesn’t need to be.’

‘So he’s tough. Doesn’t make him invincible.’

‘Speak for yourself.’

Zero stuck the pistol in the holster on his back and hoisted himself up as the machine snapped his arms out in a T formation, spinning towards him like a top.

Where the hell was X?  
His hamster ball didn’t roll into another tunnel, did it?

His eyes scanned around where they all had been trapped, but saw no signs of the other hunter.

‘Fuck, where is he?!’

The great machine levitated to his side again, arm hooked with another chop incoming. Gritting his teeth, Zero dashed away as it came down, leaving a trail of blue in its wake.

“Anytime you feel like jumping in, pal!” Zero called out, just in case X wasn’t out of the fight.  
But just in case he was, the red hunter reached back for his buster pistol-

Giant metal phalanges clamped around his wrist.

‘Bullshit! He was Not that close!’ Zero thought with a bark of surprise as he was wrenched back and dragged away from the tracks.  
His elbow locked as the machine whirled him through the air, something in it’s fingers shooting sparking pain into his body before turning hot as a blowtorch.  
He bit his tongue and reached for the gun with his other hand. While he was able to grasp the handle, the great machine’s other hand grabbed hold of his bicep and held it in place, useless as that side heated up and his pain register started screaming.

Zero writhed and kicked at the machine’s chassis, biting back any yelling his systems wanted him to do so this freak wouldn't get the satisfaction of it.

A feat, considering the prodding and icy cold but also blazing hot sensations invading his system.  
Sharp and blunt creeped and squeezed and scraped all over and inside him, darkening his vision from the edges and weighing down his limbs.  
Every kick felt like it was delivering more pain to his leg than to the enemy holding him, his hands void of fluid or sensation.

He was clenching his jaw so hard his teeth creaked, as though on the verge of breaking.


	5. Sunless sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You are something made. Then made to survive. Which means you are somebody's son.

The snake shed its scales as it climbed his back, hissing it’s song as it sunk its teeth in.

“Get away from him-!” X yelled out before choking on his voice.

His spine seized and he arched back with a gasp.

Noises passed him, the world shook around him, and everything felt so utterly hot.

Up0n @ chair h3 stO0od, h1s ey3s were B7@ank amnd dEaD,  
WiThout an0o0Oother tHoHt, he vvent @nd haung hiiiis head.

“-tobots! AAAAAAAHHHHHH!”

Axl.

X hissed to himself as he slapped the sides of his face, pulling his mask down and spitting out a black glob.  
His eyes adjusted and focused on the inky mark as it slid down the curvature of his prison.

“Tch.”

Scrubbing his mouth, X set the mask back to cover his nose before grabbing a kunai from his belt. He pressed it’s point to the black fluid and hammered it through the glass with his other hand.  
Kicking away more pieces, he jumped through the resulting hole as the prison threatened to roll away with him, grabbing the railing and swinging his legs up to cling upside down to the metal as he surveyed for his friends.  
Faintly, X caught the tail end of Axl’s yelling from one of the tunnels, tempted to follow it to find him.

A thought suspended by the sound of buster fire below him.

Zero ran and evaded the machine’s efforts, but there were only so many places to run.

He dropped from his spot and followed them from above, looking for weak points in the giant’s armor.

The machine was doubtlessly powerful, but something about it seemed off.  
It was so stiff when it actually moved it’s limbs, but even from here X could tell it was supposed to be capable of more dynamic motions.

Was it holding back?

Something cold pulsed through the air, throwing X off balance. He slipped from the rail, knocking his head against it on the way down as he plummeted.

The concrete foundation caught his fall, irritating the snake as it wriggled, coiling itself into a tight ball between his lungs and he couldn’t breathe-!

th3r e waẞ a kroOked mañ, wh0 hâd @ ¢rœkëd sMīle,  
A%d |f yo ou lïvedd hiîs lif3, he’l1 seπd ¥ou through ∆ t®ial.

Soundless gasps escaped him. The cast off skin shattered to pieces carried off by the flow of the mud and the ink, growing roots in his arms, in his legs.

The shadow armor blared alarms of danger and concern, barely registering through the grains peppering X's vision.

The chamber spun. Metal rails coiling like serpents, twisted in a pile.  
Slithering.

The rough texture of scales, just behind his heart.

It was smiling.

Suddenly, blue light dashed around above him. Flashes of it in arcs and lines, burning cold into his mind.

What was causing it?  
Had he seen that light before?

So blatantly alien, and yet rife with a bittersweet nostalgia.

His heart ached.

What was that glow?

Crooked manm-mmmmaaaaaannnmmmiiiiiiiiiiiiiine

A cough escaped him and the room stopped spinning. Soreness shrouded his back and sweat dripped down his face as he sat up. His torso shuddered and he gave his middle a hard smack in an effort to get the rest of his faculties back in order.

"-nytime you feel like jumping in, pal! Oah-!"

What was..?

X looked up.

Zero struggled furiously against the machine as it held him by his arms. Its hands shined as the blue glow quickly enveloped the red hunter. His movements grew erratic, kicking and squirming against the hands holding him.

Hurting him.

Zero shook his head wildly, grunting and straining in pain, and X was shaking wretchedly at the sight of it.

“No,” X whispered breathlessly, clenching his fists.

No.  
No no.  
No!  
NO!

His mind hyper-focused on that airborne silhouette, ears ringing as he pushed up to his feet. His left hand burned as it transformed, charging his buster. Eyes narrowed, arm rose, jaw clenched, taking aim.

Don't you dare.  
Don't. You. Dare.

Calculating the curve, X forced a shuriken to grow and promptly fired. The star spun through the air, past girders and broken tracks in a spiral before lodging itself into the machine’s shoulder.

It acknowledged it’s sudden presence with a deep hum, glancing at it as X brought his hands out in front of him and snapped.  
The shuriken whined sharply, and X saw Zero flinch as it detonated, displacing the machine’s grip enough for Zero to kick away the hand restraining his gun arm. He snapped out his buster pistol, aimed for his opponent’s head, and let plasma fly.  
The great machine lurched, but seemed to be refusing to let him go entirely.

Calculating another curve, X charged another shuriken and flung it to the hand still holding Zero before dashing below them to fire a barrage of stars into the behemoth’s back.

Faced with fire on both ends, it pulsed blue and it's shape warped into an orb, dropping Zero as it fled upwards.

Ceasing his attack, X dashed up to catch Zero before he could hit the ground. The red hunter's superior size and weight almost crushed X's shoulder on impact, blinding him in a mess of splayed limbs and unbound hair.

Something clattered to the floor beside X's boot when they landed, and turning to look for what it was revealed the pistol Zero had been using.

He… dropped it?

X shook some hair out of his face and hefted the red hunter from his shoulder to look him over.

Zero was cold to touch.

His head lolled absently with X's motions, hair falling haphazardly across his face and catching on the corners of his armor..

Why was he so cold?

No…  
No..!

"Don't tell me..!" X muttered as he oriented Zero to a sitting position, roughly combing the blond locks away with his fingers.

The red hunter hissed when X pulled a snag behind his ear, blinking blearily as his features pinched to an unamused expression.

"Ow." Zero said flatly.

X let go with a gasp, tightly wrapping his arms around his friend and holding him tight.

He was alive.  
Good.  
Good.

Zero's arms shakily patted around on X's torso, blind and confused before settling on his waist.

"Mm," he mumbled. "I'm okay, I'm okay."

And X was relieved to hear it… then seething that it almost wasn't so.

'That was so stupid! You almost got him killed…!'

A droning pulse buzzed down to their level, and X glared at the blue light as it morphed to it's mechanical shape, appearing unscathed despite the assault it had suffered.

Zero heard it too, dropping a hand from X's person to where his pistol had fallen.

"Still there, isn't he?" He asked quietly.

X didn't break eye contact with the giant.  
"Can you stand?"

The red hunter's boots scraped against the floor, orienting themselves.

"… yeah." The red hunter breathed with a firm nod as X guided him up.

He was still cold.

‘Not good enough.’

“Stay behind me,” X ordered. “Catch your breath.”  
Activating his shuriken buster again, he stepped in front of Zero, planted his feet, and took aim.

“That is close enough!”

The machine stopped.


	6. Fractal ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I sit beside the fire and think  
>  of how the world will be  
>  when winter comes without a spring  
>  that I shall ever see.

In another context, Rock might have been wowed by the complex structure holding what remained of the castle up, but right now the abstract twists and narrow shafts built for maintenance bots were grating on his emotional cortex.  
His only blessing was Bass, and how he seemed to know where he was going.

“That is close enough!”

That voice..!

“Kill the motor, dweeb,” Bass said as he abruptly stopped and braced a hand out to catch Rock.

“That’s one of them, let me-!”

“They’re not alone!” The war bot growled through his teeth, begrudgingly letting Rock squeeze next to him so he could see properly.

The shaft ramped upwards into a large, dimly lit room. In the second or so it took for his eyes to adjust, he recognized the red android as he leaned on one of his allies for support, shaking visibly. They both had their weapons aimed at the other end of the room, where, once Rock looked, stood a familiar, hulking machine.

His processor whirred in excitement initially, but slowed down to… fretting?  
Yeah, he started fretting as it settled in that Duo; mighty Duo of the star marshalls, was standing opposite to the androids.

What was he doing here?!

Rock looked at Bass, who had his teeth clenched and his fists balled as his eyes darted between everyone; assessing his targets most likely.

“… it appears you do not know what you are defending.” Duo said calmly.

“… excuse me?” asked the android in black armor.

“A vessel of malicious energy stands behind you--” Duo brought his hand up and pointed at Bass' Brother. “It must be destroyed before it can wreak havoc.”

Rock clenched his jaw.  
The prospect of Wily infusing his deadly machine with that old, evil miasma wasn’t surprising, but Rock didn’t think there was any left on earth after Duo stripped it from him and Bass.

“You’re mistaken,” said the android, certain.

“I assure you, I am not.”

The android took a step forward and his buster whined to life.

“And just who are you to be making that call?!” he snapped. “You, who we've known for all of what, three minutes? In which time you made no efforts to identify yourself, or to explain your directive, in favor of ATTACKING my partner! Explain that logic to me, since you do seem to be capable of it!”

Out of context, Rock didn’t disagree, and neither did Bass apparently, since he chuckled haughtily at it.  
And… admittedly, Rock didn’t wholly disagree IN context either.  
He had his feelings on the matter of the red android and Duo's mission, but Evil energy or no, they needed the androids alive to answer for what was going on. They would need Duo to cooperate with that as well.

Rock gave Bass a tap to move out of the way as he walked up the ramp.

“Curious,” mused Duo, his hand beginning to glow. “I sense light within you, yet you still rally against me?”

“Duo!” Rock called out, startling the three of them.

Heads turned to regard him as Bass formed up on his right, weapon ready.

“… this does not concern you, Mega man.” said the great machine, making to re-initiate, when a yellow pellet whizzed in front of his head and detonated on the far wall.

Bass blew the steam from his buster and gave Rock a gruff nod.

“It does actually,--" he nodded in thanks. “--They're wanted for questioning about some recent events! They can’t answer if you destroy them!”

The great machine looked at the androids for a long moment, then turned to Rock.  
"Is that so?"

The red android groaned and abruptly sank down to his knees, clutching his head. Concerned, his companion crouched and held his shoulder tightly in an attempt to keep him upright while still having his buster poised to fire.

Keyword; attempt.

"What did you do to them?" Rock called out as he made to approach them.

"I attempted to extract the energy from its vessel," Duo said matter-of-factly.

"Is that what you call it?!" Snapped the red android, causing Rock to pause.

He snarled as he angrily tried to get back on his feet, his shorter partner breaking stance to help take his weight and steady him as he teetered.

Blue eyes darted between them all rapidly and Rock's breaths hastened.

'He's going to kill me'

His legs locked defensively and his system frantically searched for a viable weapon to potentially immobi- no.

'No, no, override' Rock told himself.

"You might wanna stay down, mein kleine knuddelmaus," Bass barked, giving Rock a slightly less than friendly nudge with his elbow. "You look like you're giving your pal a workout."

Both androids perked up at 'knuddelmaus' with comically dumbfounded looks on their faces.

"The fuck did-?"

"Language!"

"Hey-! Augh!"

Bass' Brother clutched his head again and stepped back, almost stumbling as his ally worked to steady him. A chill pulsed through the air and the dark armored one raised his hackles.

Oh Rock knew what that was.  
He set his knawing panic and confusion to the bottom of his priorities and pointedly turned his attention to Duo, putting himself between his otherworldly friend and his prey.

The great machine raised his hand and encased himself in blue light, hovering cautiously above Rock's eyeline.

It wouldn't be the first time the star marshall's mission pit them as opponents, and the history there could make it hurt in more ways than one. But without answers, no, without Roll, then Duo was going to have to make due without the red android.

Mega man zeroed in on Duo's hand, recalling it to be the main channel of his power and clenched his teeth.

“My purpose remains true, my friend," the machine stated. “I cannot be hindered. I know you understand.”

“I do,” Rock admitted, clenching a fist and forming his buster. “I do, But I Can’t Let You Kill Them!”

“Don’t Worry!” called out the black android. “He Won’t!”

Rock snapped his head around to them as the shorter android dug his feet into the ground and in a quick movement, wrapped his arms around his partner's head and heaved them both to the ground- where they disappeared into the concrete with a bark of surprise from Bass’ brother.

Duo shot forward and split the floor with his hand maybe an instant later.  
Covering his head, and ignoring the unfocused chopping as his audio receptors recalibrated, Rock charged forward to inspect the damage with Bass on his flank, weapons live.

“Tot nicht, bitte-!” the warbot grumbled as they scanned the damage.

Duo gave a disappointed hum as he withdrew his hand from the crater; not a trace of either android within.  
Rock parsed that fact, re-ran what he saw in his head. Then again.

Though, before he could finish processing, Bass let out a sigh of relief.

“I thought that armor looked familiar,” he remarked. “He has a shadow phase.”

The ability had been one Rock couldn’t copy from Shadow man. His system wasn’t compatible with it and doctor Light theorized that, even if it was, his body wouldn’t be able to generate the necessary power to open those other-worldly doors, much less maneuver in the space between.

The black android… no, he was the one wearing blue before.  
He changed.

Yeah, yeah he changed!

Like the Rush and Treble adapters, he had alternative modes to grant different abilities! They were in the clear!

For now.

Rock clenched a fist and threw it into Duo’s arm.

“I told you to stop!” he shouted. “Why didn’t you?!”

“I do not believe I stuttered.” replied Duo. “Were you truly trying to stop me? Why?”

“I told you! We need them alive for questioning!”

“Yes, questioning. What did you wish them to answer for?”

“Where exactly they came from. Duh.” Bass interjected as he kicked around the concrete.

“They appeared out of nowhere like, yesterday, and since then it’s been one thing after another!" Rock explained exasperatedly, then paused. “...how long have you been here, Duo? Doesn’t it take you months at least to travel from star system to star system?”

“You are correct.” the alien confirmed.

“Shiße," Bass reeled, pointing his buster at Duo’s head. “Did you know this was gonna happen, fucker?!”

“That is incorrect.--” he shot the wily bot with a scowl. “--I arrived here approximately eight rotations ago. I received a signal from the ruins of Ra moon’s temple and proceeded to investigate.”

“The temple?” a chill swept through Rock’s emotion matrix. “What was there?”

“Nothing.” Duo replied simply. “Ruins. No sign of a being haunting the area either.”

“You’re sure?”

“I was thorough.”

“So what brings you from there to here?” Bass asked gruffly. “That place isn’t what I'd call close.”

The great machine gave pause.  
“...It is difficult to explain.”

“Then explain later.” Rock shook his head and logged away the new data. “We need to find where those robots went. Bass?”

“What?"

"Where'd they go?"

"I dunno. They haven’t set off any other alarms yet.”

“Do you have access to any cameras?”

“Not after you and the geezer had your way with the place.” he shrugged. “They're all dead.”

“Darn it.” Rock sighed. “Need to think of something else then.”

“May I ask why you are invested so with ensuring their capture?” Duo queried with a look at the floor where they disappeared. “If my brother’s vile ichor flows through their veins, I cannot imagine their presence has been a tame one.”

“Actually, that’s just it--” Rock gestured widely. “--if what they were doing earlier today is any indication, then they’re not actively trying to cause fear and panic. In fact it’s the opposite! When they came here one of them was covered in some kind of… goo, I think.” he scrunched his nose. “I don’t know what it is exactly, but it definitely isn’t anything good. We took a sample for analysis, but it vanished. Roll disappeared shortly after and Then the three of them who appeared escaped custody.

"The red one you attacked was battling against it today. I need to know what happened between then and now.”

Duo took a long pause, parsing the words, before he gave Rock an odd look.

“... you said there were Three of them? Excluding myself, there were Four entities here before you arrived.”

“...Four?”

It couldn't be.


End file.
